Walmart Expands iPhone Scan-and-Checkout Feature to Over 200 Stores

Walmart has announced that it is tripling the number of stores participating in a pilot program that lets shoppers scan items with an iPhone then pay at a self-checkout counter, reports Reuters.

Walmart's "Scan & Go" program will soon be in more than 200 stores, up from about 70. The pilot began near its home office in Bentonville, Arkansas in late 2012, then expanded to Atlanta. While the program is tripling in size, for now it will be in only a small fraction of Walmart's more than 4,000 U.S. stores.

"We want our customer feedback to dictate the experience," Gibu Thomas, senior vice president of mobile and digital at Walmart Global eCommerce, said this week. "You'll see this roll out to more markets."

Customers use their iPhone to scan the bar code of each item they want to purchase. An app keeps track of the items and total cost . When ready to pay, the shopper can skip the regular registers and pay at a self-checkout terminal.